Tilting head device



Sept. 1, Q E ALLEN ET AL TILTING HEAD DEVICE Filed April 21, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet l Sept- 1, 1942- c. E. ALLEN ET AL TIL'TING HEAD DEVICEFiled `April 2l, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IIS E INVENTOR CLARENCE E. ALLEN JOHN F. PAGENDARM BYe/g 2;, g, 97720@ ATTORNF'Y Patented Sept. 1,1942 UNETED 2,294,437 'rnrrrNo Hasn DEVICE Clarence E. Allen and .lohnF. Pagendarm, San Francisco, Calif.; said Pagendarm assigner to saidAllen Application April 21, 1941, Serial No. 389,494

17 Claims.

Vwhich device is compact, rugged, and when the head is tilted to anydesired position, it will automatically remain substantially rigid insaid position free from objectionable vibration or' play.

Another object of the invention is a tilting head device having atilting head supported on and forming part of a housing that enclosesthe actuated elements that function to produce the tilting of the headwhen the said elements are actuated, and which elements are actuated bya single means projecting from the housing.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the specification anddrawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view'through our devicetaken along line I-I of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational View of a locking means that isincorporated in Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a modied form of support forthe tilting head that may be used in the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a still further form of support that may be used in the deviceof Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 illustrates, semi-diagrammatically a means for causing variousmovements of the tilting head.

Briefly described, heretofore, one of the objections to tilting headdevices has been that the tilting head must be locked in adjustedposition and then unlocked for movement to a different position. Whereautomatic locks have been attempted, there has been excessive Vibrationor play, that both tends to defeat the purpose of the device and to setup objectionable wear.

Also, in devices where a support or head is to be tilted in variousdirections, ordinarily the above objections are more noticeable, anddiiierent elements must be actuated by the operator to obtain thediierent movements.

In our invention, only a single means is actuated by an operator tocause the supporting head to tilt in different directions, and the head55 tting within thehousing I.

is automatically locked against vibration and play whenever the operatorceases to actuate the single means that causes the head toltilt.

In detail, our invention, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises ahousing having generally cylindrical walls I, and end wall 2 and a head3 opposite end wall 2.

The portion of the cylindrical Wall adjacent the head 3, and designated4, is exteriorly of spherical contour. The spherical contour of saidportion may be most aptly described as being the central band of asphere the diameter of which corresponds to the outside diameter of theportionli, the center of which is on the axis of the cylindrical Wall ofthe housing.

The head 3 is formed with a generally cylindrical Yflange coaxial withthe axis of the housing and extending perpendicularly therefrom andover. the portion 4. The contour of the inner side of said flange thatembraces or extends around portion 4, substantially corresponds to theouter contour of the portion II and a sealing strip 6 of felt or othersuitable material is carried in a groove I on the inner side of saidflange, which strip engages'the spherical outer surface of portion 4.

Thus it will be seen that, independently of other considerations, thehead 3, as described to this point, would be free for universal movementon the spherical surface of portion li, and could also rotate about thecentral axis of the housing I. It will also be apparent that head 3forms one end of the cylindrical housing I and that no moisture orimpurities may enter said housing by reason of said sealing strip 6.

vWithin said housing I, and coaxial therewith are a pair ofconcentrically disposed cylindrical cam-members 8, 9, the member 9rotatably tting within member 8, and member 8 rotatably Thesecam-members 8, 9 carry/an annular row of gear teeth I 0, II around theirouter sides at their lower ends, which teeth may be either cut in thesides of the cam-members or secured thereto by any suitable means.

The housing I is of increased thickness at the juncture between wall Iand end wall 2, as indicated at I2, and the inner side of this thickenedportion is cylindrical, and coaxial with the inner side of Wall I. Theupper side of said portion, or its axially facing side, is formed withan upstanding annular flange I3. The radially inner and radially outersides of the members 8, 9 at their lower ends are turned down to provideaxially downwardly facing shoulders HI, I5

er ends, which shoulders rest on the axially facing side of the saidliange |3.

The member is shorter than the member 9 and the lower end portion ofmember 8 is supported a distance above the lower member 9 about thewidth of one of the rows of teeth i9 or The upper annular edges i6, Ilof the members 8, 9 respectively, are in a iiat plane extendingslantingly relative to the axis of each member, at say an angle of aboutrelative to a line at right angles to the axis of said members. If themembers B, 9 are rotated to bring the inclined edges of each to the samerelative position, the said edges are co-planar. In Fig. 1, the membersare in a position in which two opposite points on annular inclined edgei5 and two opposite points on angular edge Il are equally spaced 90apart and all of which points are in a single plane that extendstransversely of the central axis of the housing at right angles thereto.These upper edges l5, provide camsurfaces for a purpose that will becomeclear from a further description.

Secured to head 3 on its under side, and depending therefrom, is agenerally annular element 2|! from which depend four legs 2|, 2|', 22,22 on radii spaced 90 apart. The legs 2|, 2|

are connected by horizontal aligned pivots 23 to a generally annularring 24 at two opposite points on said ring, and which ring is disposedon its side on the cam-surface i6 of member 8, while legs 22, 22 areconnected by horizontal, aligned pivots 25 to a generally annular ring26, at two opposite points on said ring 25. The ends of the arms towhich the pivots are attached are disposed between pairs of ears on saidrings through which the pivots extend. The said ring 29 is disposed onits side on the cam-surface of member 9. The axes of pivots 23 andpivots 25 intersect each other at a point on the axis that is common towall l, and to members 8, 9 and said point is the center of thespherical contour of portion 4. Thus, upon turning either one or theother of the members 8, 9 on their common axis, the head 3 will betilted according to which of the members is rotated and the relativepositions of said members. In the drawings (Fig. l) the head 3 is in aplane at right angles to said axis, but if member 9, which is below ring26 (Fig. 2) is rotated counter-clockwise, the head 3 will be graduallytilted to one side to its maximum degree of inclination relative to saidaxis and upon continuation of said rotation the head will again moveback to the position as shown in Fig. l and will then gradually tilt inthe opposite direction until its maximum degree of inclination isreached and then back again to the position shown in Fig. l, at whichlast position, the member 9 will have made complete revolution about itsaxis.

The same result occurs in rotating the member 8, except that the headwill tilt in a plane at right angles to the plane in which said head istilted by rotation of member 9.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that the head may be partially orfully tilted in one plane by rotation of member 9, and may then bevtilted in a plane at right angles to the said one plane, by rotation ofmember 3, the last mentioned tilting movement being accomplished whilethe head is maintained tilted in said one plane. The

maximum degree of inclination of head 3 in 75 on each of said membersspaced above their loweither one of said planes is the same as thedegree of inclination of the plane of the upper annular edges of member8, or 9 relative to the central axis common to both of said members.

It is pertinent to note that each of the legs 2|, 2|', 22, 22 may beprovided with a shoe 21, as indicated in Fig. 5, instead of the rings24, 23, or rollers 28 may be used instead of the rings or shoes as bestshown in Fig. 6.

The head 3 is held slidably seated on portion 4, and the rings, shoes orrollers, as the case may be, that are carried Iby the legs 2| 2|', 22,22', are tightly held against the cam-surfaces l, Il by means of arelatively strong coil spring 29 that is secured at one of its ends to aplate 3B that is in turn secured to end 2, and at its opposite end tohead 3. The end 2, and head 3, at the respective points of connectionbetween the ends of the springs therewith, are respectively recessed asat 3|, 32 to receive the opposite ends of the spring, and to preventrotation of the spring on its axis. The plate 3|l'is secured to end 2 bya screw 33 that extend through arcuate slots 34 in the plate 39, thearcs of said slots being concentric with the central axis of the springand of members. These slots are in margins of plate 33, which plate iscircular, and the recess 3| is in a boss on said plate that extends intoa central opening in head 2. Thus upon loosening screws 33; andinserting a screw driver, or other suitable member in slot 35in theouter side of plate 39, the said plate may be rotated to cause rotationof spring 29 and head 3 to any desired degree, after which the screwsmay be tightened. This adjustment provides a means for adjusting theangle of a mirror, or other device carried by head 3, such mirror beingindicated in dotted line at 36.

To positively lock the head in any position of adjustment effected bythe movement of the head, as described in the preceding paragraph, weuse a split ring 3'! that is embraced by portion 4 cf the housing. Awedge member 38 (Fig. 4) is positioned between the ends of the ring atthe split, causing the ring to expand and tightly grip the inside of thehousing at portion 4, this expansion being eiected by screws 39 thatscrew into the ends of the ring, and which screws pass through openingsin anges 40 that overlie the edges of the ring at opposite sides of theslit in the latter. One of the pivots 23 projects into the space betweenthe ends of the ring 3?, as seen in Figs. l, 4. Thus when the ring isclamped in portion 4,`there can be no rotation of the head 3 and legs2|, 2|', 22, 22 about the central axis of the housing. However, whenwedge 39 is loosened, the head may be so rotated to a different positionand locked in the new position. l

In the case of a rear-view mirror being carried by head 3, andparticularly where such mirror is on the right hand side of a bus, weprovide a pair 0f worm gears 4|, 4| in the housing, which gears arerespectively in mesh with the teeth l 0, of members 8, 9. Single meansis provided for rotating either of the gears 4|, 4|', as desired inopposite directions.

This single means comprises a shaft 42 having a push-pull button orhandle 43 (Fig. 2) at one end, which button may be mounted on the dashboard 44 of the bus,.in front of the driver. The

shaft 42 may be a flexible shaft, as indicated,'

terminating in an enlarged rigid end portion 45 (Fig. 3) that slidablyextends through the worm gear 4|. The ends of portion 45 are journaledin a gear case 46 formed integrally with the walls I ofthe housing. Apin 41 extends through shaft portion 45'at one end of gear 4|, betweensaid gear anda spur gear 48, on said shaft, that is also in case 46. Thegears 4|, 48V are rotatable on shaft 45, but their adjacent sides arerespectively provided with axially, outwardly projecting dogs or lugs49, 59. The pin carried by shaft 45 between the gears 4|, 48 and betweenlugs 49, 58, carries a head that projects radially outwardly of saidshaft. Thus when shaft 45 is pushed in direction from gear 48 towardgear 4|, the head 5| will engage one of lugs 49, and as the shaft isrotated, the gear 4| will be positively rotated, but gear 48 will beidle. However, when shaft 45 is moved in an opposite direction bypulling on handle 43, the head 5| will be released from lugs 49 and willengage lugs 58, thus establishing a positive drive between the shaft 45and gear 48.

The gear 48 is always in mesh with a spur gear 52 thatl is secured tothe worm gear 4|. The worm gear 4| and spur gear 52 are supported forrotation on -a shaft 53 that is carried at its opposite ends in oppositewalls of case 46.

It will be apparentY from the above, that when gear 48 is positivelydriven by shaft 45 in one direction or the other, the worm gear 4| willbe positively driven, while gear 4| is idle. When shaft 45 is moved tocarry head 5| to a point intermediate the gears 4|, 48, there will be nomovement of any of the gears 4|, 4|', 48, 52, even when the shaft 45 isrotated.

As gears 4|, 4|', respectively, mesh with teeth I6, on members 8, 9, thesaid members may selectively be rotated in -either direction about theircommon axis, thus causing the head 3 to be tilted about one or the otherof two perpendicularly extending axes, the said axes extending throughpairs of pivots 23, and intersecting each other at the center of thespherical outer contour of portion 4. In whatever position the head istilted by rotation of either of gears 4|, 4|', the head willautomatically be locked in such position since any force applied to thehead to change its inclination is applied longitudinally of the members8, 9, and not circurnferentially thereof, and the members 8, 9 areprevented from rotating on their common axis by worm gears 4 I, 4|'.

Fig. 7 semi-diagrammatically illustrates a means that may be employed toproduce any desired tilting movement of the head 3, in which any pointon the head may be continuously or intermittently caused to move inpractically any predetermined path aboutI the center of `thel sphericalsurface of portion 4 within the limits permitted by the degree of tiltof the cam-surfaces |6, l1. For example, where a search light is carriedon head 3, it sometimes is desirable to cause the light to move so as tofollow an unusual path of travel to successively illuminate objects thatmay be irregularly arranged;

'Io accomplish this result, axial extensions 60, 6| may be provided ongears 4|, 4| respectively. A spur gear 62 may be xedly secured onextension 69 and a gear 63'adapted to be moved into and out of mesh withgear B2 may be splined on extension 6|.

Also a spur gear 64 may be 'lxedlyy secured on extension 6| spaced lfromgear 63, and a spur gear 65 may be splined on extension 68 for movementinto and out of planar relation to gear 64. Between the gears 64, 65 isthe drive shaft 66 of a reversable motor 61 and a spur gear 68 splinedon shaft 66 is adapted to be moved to mesh with gear 64 alone or tomesh4 with both gears 64, 65 when the latter is moved to planar relationwith gear 64'. The speed of shaft 66 may be constant or may be varied,as desired', through a variable transmission 69.

When the pin head A5| is in neutral position, and the gears 62, 63,64,65, 68 are all disengaged from each other, it is obvious that shaft 45may be actuated to cause movement of the head 3 in the manner described.However, when head 5| is in neutral position, by eng-aging gears 68, 64,the worm gear 4| only will be actuated, or by engaging gears 68, 65,only the worm gear 4| will be actuated. By engaging gears 68, 64, 65 theworm gears 4|, 4 will be rotated simultaneously in the same directionsabout their respective axes, or by engaging gears 63, 64, 63, and 62,the worm gears 4 4| Will be rotated in opposite directions about theiraxes, andby reversing the motor when any of' the above designatedcombinations of gears arev engaged, there will be a reversal of movementofthe worm gears 4|, 4|', about each of their axes; The relative sizesof the gears may be changed to change the relative speeds of gears 4 4|.The number of diierent paths that any point on head 3 may be made tofollow on an imaginary sphere are too numerous to mention here, blut itis clear that the slightest change in the relative positions of members8, 9 on their axes in each of the various manners in which the members8, 9 are rotated will result in a different path of travel of a point onhead 3, and by adjusting the head relative to housing to differentpositions, independently of the rotation of the members 8, 9, stilldifferent paths will be followed by a'point on saidhead, or by a pointon any object carried on said head.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A tilting head device of the character den scribed comprising; ahead; means ,supporting said head for revolvable movement about a commoncenter in two planes Vdisposed perpendicularly to each other; and meansfor so moving said head.

2. A tilting head device of the character described, comprising; a head;means supporting said head for revolvable movement about a single centerin two planes disposed perpendicularly to each other and intersectingeach other at said center; and means for so moving said head in one ofsaid planes superposed on the other.

3. In a construction as defined in claim 2, said latter means includinga manually actuatable, single, push-pull member supported forreciprocation and for rotation in opposite directions at opposite endsof its stroke, separate elements actuated by said member at saidopposite ends of said stroke connecting between said member and saidhead; said elements, respectively, being arranged and adapted to causesaid movement of said head in one of said planes or the other when saidmember is rotated at one or the other of the ends of said stroke.

4. A tilting head device of the character described comprising; ahousing formed with an annular surface of spherical contour; a headsupported on said surface for movement thereon about the center of saidcontour; means within said housing for so moving said head on saidvsurface in planes disposed perpendicularly to each other andintersecting each other at said center.

5. In a construction as defined in'claim 4, said means including camsand cam-followers movable relative to each other and operativelyconnected with said head.

6. A tilting head device of the character described, comprising; ahousing; a head slidably supported on said housing for movement inplanes extending perpendicularly to each other and intersecting eachother at a point Within said housing; two pairs of cam-followers carriedby said head; the followers of each of said pairs being in axialalignment; the axes of said pairs of followers intersecting each otherat said point; and a pair of rotary cams in said housing each of whichsupports one of said pairs of followers; said cams being arranged andadapted to cause relative movement of said followers in said planes uponrotating said cams relatively; and means for rotating said cams relativeto each other.

7. A tilting head device of the character described, comprising; ahousing formed with an opening in one side thereof; a head slidablysupported on such housing for movement in planes extendingperpendicularly to each other and intersecting each other at a point andalong a line within said housing; means for causing said movement ofsaid head successively in said planes to tilted positions at anglessuperposed one on the other; said last mentioned means being enclosedwithin said housing; and said head being disposed over said opening insaid one side of said housing.

8. In a construction as defined in claim 7, said head being rotatableabout an axis extending through said point when said head is tilted toany one of said positions, and means for locking said head against suchrotation about said axis while permitting movement of said head in saidplanes when said head is so locked.

9. In a construction as defined in claim '7, said head including afemale member of spherical inner contour and said housing including amale member of spherical outer contour generally corresponding to saidinner contour disposed within said female member and supporting thelatter for universal movement about the center of said contours. Y

1). A tilting head device of the character described comprising; ahousing; a pair of coaxial, cylindrical members disposed within saidhousing, one member being positioned within the other, and said membersbeing rotatable relatively about their common axis; adjacent ends ofsaid members being formed with axially outwardly facing cam-surfaces; ahead; a pair of cam-followers pivotally secured to said head andrespectively supported on the cam surface of each of said members; meansfor rotating said members relatively about said axis for causingmovement of said followers axially of said members whereby correspondingmovement of said head will be effected; the axes of the pivots securingsaid followers to said head intersecting each other at right angles toeach other on the axis about which said members are rotatable.

11. In a construction as defined in claim 10, the said means forrotating said members relatively including a pair of worm gears arrangedand adapted to cause said relative rotation upon rotation of one or theother of said gears; and means exterior of said housing for rotatingsaid gears as desired.

12. A tilting head device of the character described comprising; acylindrical housing pros vided with a head at one end supported on saidhousing for revolving about a point on the central axis of said housing,and provided with an end wall at the opposite end of said housing; apair of generally tubular, cylindrical cam-members concentric with eachother and with the cylindrical walls of said housing, supported in saidhousing for rotation relatively about said axis; said members beingdisposed between said end wall and said head and the edges of saidmembers adjacent said head being longitudinally of a varying contourrelative to a plane transversely intersecting said axis at right anglesthereto; cam-followers connected with said head frictionally engagingsaid edges; means for revolving said members relative tol each otherabout said axis and for automatically locking said members againstrotation relatively upon cessation of actuation of said means for sorevolving said members.

13. In a construction as defined in claim 12, said last mentioned meansbeing coacting worm and helical gears associated with each of saidmembers respectively in which the helical gears are concentric with saidaxis and are rigidly secured to said members.

lll. In a device of the character described a pair of cams rotatableabout a common axis each provided with axially facing cam surfaces;camfollowers engaging the cam surface on each of said members; meansholding said cam-followers in frictional engagement with each of saidsurfaces and also holding said cam-followers against revolving aboutsaid axis; means securing said cam-followers in positions spaced apartrelative to said axis whereby upon revolving either of said membersabout said axis said followers will move relative to each generallyaxially of said members in accordance with the variations in the linearcontour of said surfaces relative to a plane intersecting said axistransversely thereof and perpendicularly thereto.

15. In a construction as defined in claim 14, means securing saidfollowers rigidly together and supporting said followers for movement incircular paths about a common center on said axis in planes extendinglongitudinally of said axis and intersecting each other at said axis.

16. In a device of the character described a pair of cam-followerssecured together in positions spaced apart substantially 90 at pointsdisposed radially outwardly of a single axis; means supporting saidfollowers for movement in circular paths about a single point on saidaxis in planes extending longitudinally of said axis that intersect eachother at said axis; a pair of cam members coaxial with said axisprovided with cam surfaces facing axially 0f said axis and revolvableabout said axis; means releasably securing said cam followers againstrevolving about said axis while permitting movement of said followers insaid intersecting planes about said point.

1'7. In a construction as defined in claim 16 means for selectivelyrevolving said members together or separately in the same or in oppositedirections about said axis.

CLARENCE E. ALLEN. JOHN F, PAGENDARM.

